Embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has been served with a subpoena to appear at a deposition on Aug. 9 in the sexual harassment lawsuit by his former communications director.

Filner has been calling for due process in the scandal enveloping his administration, but his office initially refused to accept a subpoena on Thursday to let the due process proceed. On Friday, the City Attorney's Office managed to serve him in person at a San Diego Association of Governments meeting, where he served on the board.

“Our investigators tried to serve him directly with a subpoena and they were told to go away by Lee Burdick,” Goldsmith told U-T Watchdog, referring to Filner’s recently appointed chief of staff, who previously served as legal director.

The subpoena is for a deposition on Aug. 9 to answer allegations against him by his former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson, who has retained high-profile attorney Gloria Allred to press her case.

“Our lawyers have scheduled a deposition with Mr. Filner, coordinating with Gloria Allred, for August 9,” Goldsmith said. “The purpose of the deposition is to put him under oath and get his side of the story. That is what due process is.”

Allred filed suit Monday on McCormack Jackson’s behalf, against the city and Filner. Goldsmith is representing the city.

McCormack Jackson was the first woman to come forward publicly with sexual harassment allegations against the mayor, and six others have gone public since, alleging various degrees of harassment at the hands of Filner.

“Our investigators have been developing a lot of information about this matter as well as related matters,” Goldsmith said. “We have questions, and I know Allred has questions.”